1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of issuing information storage media to be attached to commodities or articles for processing them, and more particularly to a wireless information storage medium which can be read from and written into by radio and an apparatus and method for issuing the storage medium.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently attention has been paid to a wireless information storage medium that can communicate by radio transmissions and read information from an internal storage device, such as an IC memory, or write information into the storage device.
This type of a wireless information storage medium has been attached as a wireless tag to objects for the purpose of preventing shoplifting or used as a ski lift ticket in. In addition, an attempt has been made to incorporate the storage medium into a commuter""s pass for a wireless automatic ticket inspecting system.
A system employing such wireless information storage media (cards, tags, or the like) allows predetermined processing to be performed without inserting or otherwise connecting the media into a processing machine. The lack of a required contact between the storage media and the processing machine produces a convenience that conventional systems lack.
A wireless information storage medium, such as a wireless tag, usually lacks an image display that can be seen by people. Certain applications (i.e. shoplifting preventive system) for a storage medium, however, do not require a system in which information concerning commodities or goods is shown visually to persons or customers.
In addition to the system described below, a variety of systems that use wireless tags have been proposed. For example, information contained in tags attached to goods a customer purchases can be read by radio and used for accounting purposes. This will provide a more efficient accounting process than that which is employed currently. In this case, however, it is necessary for the customers to be able to confirm the prices of the goods themselves.
In the field of distribution of goods, a system can use wireless tags attached to goods to acquire information particular to each good at each distribution point and, thereby control the flow of goods. Moreover, wireless tags can be used for managing manufacturing processes by attaching wireless tags for manufacture management by attaching wireless tags to articles during the manufacturing process itself. In such a system, it will be essential for a site worker or manager to be able to confirm visually the information corresponding to an article for the purpose of dealing with unexpected accidents such as tag damage, communications failures, etc.
To solve this problem, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 4-368894 discloses a built-in noncontact recording medium which has a noncontact recording means and a surface with a rewritable visible information recording area consisting of a heat-reversible material. In other words, the recording area that permits visible information to be recorded by heat in a rewritable manner is formed on the surface of the noncontact recording medium which has a built-in noncontact recording means.
The above-described wireless information storage media are portable but are relatively poor in flexibility. Thus, various restraints may arise in attaching them to articles as price tags, article tags, and manufacture process management tags.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-104189 discloses an information storage medium in which an electronic component such as a noncontact recording means, is fixed to the surface of a paper-like base member. A printing medium is also attached to allow repeated printing of visible information. Thus, although the information storage medium has good flexibility, the electronic component maybe subject to breaking due to the mechanical stress.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-104189 also discloses a storage medium issuing apparatus for issuing the information storage medium, that is equipped with a writing/printing unit for writing and printing ID information into and onto an ID tag as an information storage medium. The writing/printing unit has a transmitter/receiver unit, an ID tag stacker, a printer, a feed mechanism for feeding ID tags to the printer, an eject mechanism for ejecting the ID tags after printing, a printer controller, and a main controller for controlling these components.
The printer has printing means for printing information on the ID tag rewritable paper and erasing means for erasing printed information. The transmitter/receiver unit has an antenna for make communications with the ID tag and a transmitter/receiver circuit for modulating and demodulating information.
The main controller enters data to be written from a host computer through a host interface and controls the printer controller, the printer, and the transmitter/receiver unit for controlling the writing and printing of the ID information. To this end, the main controller has an MPU for such control and a memory for storing data that is entered through the host interface.
The issuing apparatus has means for deciding whether or not ID information has been recorded on an ID tag. If the ID information has already been recorded, it is erased and new ID information is written. The number of times ID information is written is handled as part of the ID information. The number of write operations is printed or the ID information printed position is changed according to the number of write operations.
In issuing a wireless information storage medium, the issuing apparatus, as described above writes given information into the information storage unit and prints the visible information onto the visible information recording area. However, because a semiconductor circuit forming the information storage unit is generally an IC or LSI component, the circuit may be damaged due to the mechanical stress exerted at the time of printing visible information. In particular, when a recording head is in contact with an information recording medium, as in a printing system, in which a thermal head is used as the recording head, the thermal or mechanical stress may be imposed on the IC or LSI built into the information storage medium. Such a stress causes the wireless information storage medium, that has malfunctioning semiconductor circuit, to issued, resulting in low yields.
Sometimes it is necessary to issue wireless information storage media in large quantities. In this case, it is necessary to store the same information into and print the same visible information on a large number of wireless information storage media. Thermal printing, however, takes a very long time compared to storing wireless information. The time required to issue one wireless information storage medium depends greatly on the time required to print visual information. It is therefore, difficult to reduce the processing time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an issuing method and apparatus which permits wireless information storage media to be issued without damaging a built-in electronic component.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an issuing method and apparatus which permits wireless information storage media to be issued in large quantities with a good yield.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of issuing a wireless information storage medium provided with a wireless information storage unit that has a memory section for storing information, a wireless transmitter/receiver section for transmitting and receiving information by radio, and an image recording unit for displaying visual information comprising the steps writing the information into the memory section by transmitting predetermined information to be stored into the memory section to the wireless transmitter/receiver section by radio and printing visual information corresponding at least part of the information to be stored into the memory section on the image recording unit of the wireless information storage medium.
The method further comprises reading the information written into the memory section of the wireless information storage unit through the wireless transmitter/receiver section to check the stored information read from the memory section with the information before transmission to the wireless information storage unit.
The method further comprises separating wireless information storage media after the writing the information into the memory section according to the results of checks and printing the information found on the wireless information storage media for which the results of checks indicate a match.
The method further comprises re-writing the information into the memory section of the information storage unit for which the results of checks indicate a mismatch.
Separating the wireless information storage media includes recalling the wireless information storage media if the check results indicate a mismatch even after repeatedly writing to the memory section.
The method further includes binding the image recording unit that visually displays information with the wireless information storage unit that is written with the stored information.
The method further includes reading the stored information from the memory section through the wireless transmitter/receiver section to check the information that was read with the information before transmission.
When writing information unto the memory section, the information is written successively into each of a plurality of wireless information storage units. The method further includes separating the wireless information storage units after writing information according to the results of checks and binding a wireless information storage unit for which the check result indicates a match with an image recording unit printed with the visual information.
The method further comprises re-writing information on the memory section of the information storage units when the results of checks indicate a mismatch.
Separating includes recalling the information storage units for which the check results indicate a mismatched even after writing information onto memory section has been performed a predetermined number of times.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for issuing a wireless information storage medium provided with a semiconductor integrated circuit that has a memory section for storing information, a wireless transmitter/receiver section for transmitting and receiving information by radio and an image recording area which is placed away from the semiconductor integrated circuit and displays visual information comprises of: an insertion/ejection port for inserting or ejecting the wireless information storage medium; printing means for printing visual information corresponding to at least part of information to be written into the memory section on the image recording area; first carry means for carrying a wireless information storage medium inserted into the insertion/ejection port with its information recording area at the head to a position where it is opposed to the printing means; reader/writer means installed between the insertion/ejection port and the printing means for writing information into the semiconductor integrated circuit in a non-contact manner; and second carry means for carrying the wireless information storage medium to the insertion/ejection port for ejection.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.